No. 89: Pesce

Chefs rarely stick around for long—NBA coaches have greater shelf life. The only constant at this Dupont Circle townhouse is owner Regine Palladin, whose late husband, the legendary chef Jean-Louis Palladin, teamed with Roberto Donna a generation ago to give birth to the kind of place the city still could use more of: a sophisticated but unpretentious little bistro for which “fresh, local, and seasonal” is a kind of mantra.

This isn’t the place to come looking for lobster and other piscatory indulgences or for gargantuan seafood feasts.

The value of Pesce is the relaxed, leisurely vibe, the good wines, and, not least, a kitchen that builds its menu around whatever is fresh that day. A staffer hauls a large chalkboard announcing the day’s selections to your table. They might include a smoked-trout salad, whole fresh anchovies, sautéed clams, grilled sardines, a whole roasted dorade, and, in the spring, shad roe. In the Mediterranean fashion, expect few accoutrements—a purist’s approach that seems elegant and inevitable when the product is good and fresh.